This invention relates to new and useful improvements in depth-of-cut gauges for sawmills, milling machines, power hacksaws, and other work members.
A similar purpose gauge has heretofore been utilized on portable type sawmills of the type having a supporting frame, a saw carriage movable longitudinally on the frame, means supporting the frame parallel with a log, and means arranged to adjust the frame laterally of the log for positioning the saw carriage in a selected depth-of-cut for the saw blade. Such a sawmill and depth-of-cut gauge is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,398,771. The gauge comprises a pivoted holder for an arm having an abutment end arranged to engage a log for laterally positioning the frame in a depth of cut of the log. The type of depth-of-cut gauge shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,398,771 has the disadvantage that it frequently becomes stuck in the wood and is not capable of pivoting to an out-of-the-way position when the saw carriage engages it. That is, the abutment edge of the gauge frequently embeds itself into the wood due to the impact it has when the saw frame is adjusted laterally, and although it has a pivoted support, the radius of pivotal movement will not allow the abutting edge to free itself from the wood. Thus, when the carriage engages this arm, it will, as stated, bend and thus require repair or replacement. The same problem exists on other work members where a depth gauge is used to stop lateral adjustment of a carriage or the like.